John Cooper co-founded the Cooper Car Company with his father, Charles, in 1946. Today the BMW-owned MINI brand pays homage to its founder with the 2009 MINI John Cooper Works. The special edition MINI JCW lists for more than $6,000 over the Cooper S models and $10,000 over the standard Cooper.

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True to its heritage the JCW is a pure-bred performance car. The only transmission option is a six-speed manual Getrag gearbox. Under the hood you will find the traditional 16-valve four-cylinder MINI engine, but this one is turbocharged and tuned for 208 horsepower. With a top speed of 147 mph and a zero to 60 mph time of 6.2 seconds, the John Cooper Works is built for thrills. The twin-scroll turbocharger provides enough power for the 1.6-liter engine to make 192 pound-feet of torque under normal driving. An overboost function allows the JCW to eek out an additional 16 lb-ft for a total of 207! Offering more than just a hood scoop and impressive engine the JCW is further set apart from the Cooper and Cooper S with standard with 17-inch alloy wheels and an Electronic differential lock.

Similar to the standard Cooper and Cooper S models the JCW offers all of the usual option packages. The Premium Package brings a panoramic sunroof and cruise control while the cold weather package heats everything from the seats and mirrors to window washer fluid jets. For those who must have every last bell and whistle MINI makes the Convenience Package available. Including automatic headlights, automatic window wipers, auto dimming rear mirror, a garage door opener, and Bluetooth and iPod access the convenience packages ensures the driver will never need to do anything but enjoy driving.

A short list of standard features worth noting includes the 12.4-inch Brembo brakes, stability and traction control, leatherette seating surfaces, and the usual braking alphabet soup of ABS (anti-lock brakes), EBD (electronic brake force distribution), and, CBC (corner braking control). Like all MINIs and BMWs the JCW comes with a 3 year / 36,000 no-cost full maintenance program.

Building a car that will bear the name of its inventor is no easy task. Looking at John Cooper Works impressive feature set and performance figures it is safe to say that the legacy of John Cooper lives on.